Sharer and ditcher



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. E. McOORMIGK. SHAPER AND DITGHER.

, No. 554,948. Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

7mill/M{IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/{IIIIIII g INVENTOR A TTOHNE Y8.

ANDREW EGRAIMM.PNUTDUTIIQWASKINGTON. 0.0.

(No ModeLj 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. E. MQOORMIOK. SHAPER AND DITGHER.

No. 554,948. Patented Feb. 18, 1896,

I [I 1 I i M 5 1 i E l L i w I 47 "I i 1 I i l Y I MW Y 1 ATTORNEYS.

. ment.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. MCCORMICK, OF PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK.

SHAPER AND DITCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,948, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed September 6, 1895. Serial No. 561,6 9].. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. MCCORMICK, of Port J ervis. in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Shaper and Ditcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to appliances for use in the construction and maintenance of railroad-beds; and its object is to provide a new and improved shaper and ditcher arranged to properly shape the earth and stone filling on the sides of the track-bed, to cut the weeds, and to form a proper drainage for the track, all in a very simple and economical manner.

The invention consists principally of aframe adapted for pivotal connection with the side of a car and normally standing at an angle thereto, a knife-carrier held vertically adjustable on the said frame and provided at its lower end with a knife, the bottom edge of which is shaped correspondingly to the crossseotion of the side of the track.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improve- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 isa like view of the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of the knife-frame and the means for raising and lowering the same. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of device for raising or lowering the knife. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 8 is a sectional side elevation of another modified form of the knife raising and lowering device. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illustratinga detail hereinafter fully described.

A flat railroad-car A is adapted to travel on the rails B, secured on the ties B, placed on .the track-bed C. On one side of this car A,

preferably at or near the middle thereof, is

secured a downwardly-extending bracket D,

carr in a ivotin E en a in ears F of a frame F, adapted to project at an angle from the side of the car and pivotally connected at its outer free end by links G with the side of the car, near the front thereof, as at A, and similar links H connect the free end of the said frame with the rear portion of the car, as at A it being understood that both connections at A and A are by pivots, as plainly indicated in the drawings.

The links G and H are provided with turnbuckles G and H, respectively, so that either of the links may be lengthened or shortened so as to swing the-frame F into the desired angular position relative to the side of the car A. The frame F is provided with a series of vertically-disposed .guideways F F F in which are fitted to slide vertically the posts I I I constituting a carrier for supporting a knife J, fasten ed by bolts K K K to the lower ends of said posts and by rivets to the lower edge of a plate 1 forming an extension of the knife.

The knife J is formed at its under side to correspond with the shape of the cross-section desired to be given to the side of the railroadtrack. The bolts K and K pass through angular slots J in the knife J, so that the latter with the extension-plate I can swing up or down on the bolt K as the pivot, and according to the up or down movement of either of the posts I or I. By this arrangement the lower edge of the knife J can be set to any desired angle relative to the ties B to make the slope of the railroad-bed C more or less, as desired.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the knife is formed on its under side with a curve J 2 for rounding off the track-bed C from the top of the tie B downward a suitable distance to then form with the straight but inclined edge J 3 a slope leading from the lower endof the rounded portion in an outward direction.

The guideways F F F are connected with each other at the front by plates F so as to form a solid face for the frame, the lowermost of the plates being overlapped at the front by the extension knife-plate 1 as plainly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. Similar plates F connect the rear sides of the guideways with each other, so as to prevent earth from clogging the posts I, I and I in the guideways.

Springs F are coiled on the pivot E and press on. the top of the ears F to permit the frame F to yield in a vertical direction whenever the lower edge of the knife shall strike a heavystone or rock on the side of the track (I. 3y this arrangement breaking of the knife J is prevented.

The posts I and I are formed in their upper ends with rack-teeth adapted to be respectively engaged by gear-wheels L L, which wheels are secured on a shaft N. The shaft N is journalcd in suitable bearings on the guideways F and F and capable of sliding transversely so as to bring the gear-wheels L and L into respective mesh with the racktecth on the posts I and I.

As best shown in Fig. 9, the gear-wheels L L are made twice as wide as the rack-teeth and are set 011 the shaft so as to havea differential relation to the respective racks, whereby both are ordinarily in respective engagement with the rack-teeth. 011 posts I I, but the arrangement of the gears is such that when the shaft N is pushed outward the gear-wheel L moves completely out of mesh with the teeth on the postI, while the gear L simply moves laterally on the rack-teeth of the post I, and when the shaft N is moved completely inward the wheel L moves out of mesh with the teeth on the post I, while the gear-wheel L slides as did the gear L in the above-described op-' eration, so as to remain in mesh with the teeth on the post I. Thus the gears L and L may be moved so as to be both engaged with their respective racks or so that either may be disengaged on the engagement of the other, and thereby causing either or both of the posts I I to be moved up or down according to the adjustment of the gears by turning the shaft N. The shaft N is extended over the top of the car A to carry at its inner end a suitable handle N under the control of the operator standing on the platform of the car. 13y this arrangement the operator, by turning the handle N, can readily raise and lower the knife J or change its angle relative to the ties B by imparting an up and down sliding motion to the posts I and I, as previously explained. Thus the knife J may be raised or lowered to bring its lower edge to the desired depth in the track 0, and the said knife may also be raised a suitable distance in case it is not desired to cut, and without being required to swing the entire frame F with the knifecarrying frame to one side of the car.

When the knife J is adjusted to the proper height, the posts I and I are locked in place in the guideways F and F and for this pur pose I provide the catches O, fitted to slide transversely in suitable bearings on the guideways F and F each catch being adapted to engage one, two or more of the rack-teeth on the corresponding posts I or I, and the said catches are arranged to lock either or both posts in place. Each of the catches O is held on a rod 0 adapted to be manipulated by the operator standing on the platform of the car A, so that either or both of the posts may be locked in place by the catches, or the catches may be pulled out of the teeth. to permit of raising and lowering the posts I and I by the operator turning the handle N, as previously explained.

It is evident that other means may be employed for raising and lowering the posts I I. For instance, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the posts are provided with screw-rods Q Q, engaged by beveled-nut gear-wheels Q Q, respectively, in mesh with gear-wheels Q Q, respectively, journaled on the frame 1 ()n the gear-wheels Q Q are formed or secured spur-wheels Q Q respectively, adapted to be engaged by gear-wheels R It, respectively, in the same manner as the gear-wheels L L engage the teeth on the posts I I. The gearwheels R R are secured on the shaft R fitted to slide and to turn in suitable bearings on the frame F and provided with a handle It.

As illustrated in Fig. 8, I employ two aircylinders S S, containing pistons S S, respectively, having their piston-rods S connected with the posts I I carrying the knife.

Air-pipes T T lead into the lower ends of the cylinders S S, respectively, and connect with a suitable valve U connected by a pipe U with an air-reservoir 011 the engine or car A. The valve U is so arranged that when turned air can be let into or out of either or both cylinders S S to lift or lower either or both of the pistons S S and the posts I I.

It will be seen that when the machine is in the position shown in the drawings, and the car A is pulled or pushed along on the trackrails by the locomotive, then the knife J will cut into the sides of the track 0 and remove the surplus material and give the desired and proper shape. As the knife J with the frame F stands in an inclined direction to the side of the car and somewhat in a rearward direc tion to the forward movement of the car, it is obvious that the said knife readily directs the surplus material to one side and causes it to roll down the embankment forming the side of the track 0.

The machine not only beautifies the appearance of the track and road-bed, but ditches the side of the track and throws all drainage from the road-bed and makes a solid bed for the track. When a track is formed in this manner, water will not accumulate around the ties, and consequently the latter are not disturbed in the winter time by the freezing of the water, as is so frequently the case in road-beds as now constructed.

It will further be seen that this machine can also be used to remove any objectionable snow that may lie alongside the track, and may also ditch out the snow to carry off the water from the track in cuts where snow-banks have drifted. In case the side of the roadbed is very irregular and rough it is necessary to pass the machine over the same track-section twice to produce the desired result.

Having thus fully described myinventi on,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame, means for holding it at an angle to the side of a car, and a knife held vertically adjustable on the said frame, the bottom edge of the. knife being formed correspondingly to the desired cross-section of the side of the track, substantially as shown and described.

2. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame pivotally connected with the side of the car, adjustable links pivotally connecting the free or outer end of the said frame with-the forward and rear ends of the car, and a knife-carrier held vertically adjustable on the said frame, and provided at its lower end with a knife the bottom edge of which is formed correspondingly to the desired crosssection of the side of the track, substantially as shown and described.

3. A machine of the class described comprising a frame pivotally connected with the side of the car, adjustable links pivotally connecting the free or outer end of the said frame with the forward and rear ends of the car, a knife-carrier held vertically adjustable on the said frame, and provided at its lower end with a knife the bottom edge of which is formed correspondingly to the desired crosssection of the side of the track, and springs pressing the said frame at its pivot, to permit the frame to yield vertically, substantially as shown and described.

4. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame, means for holding the frame at an angle to the car, a knife-carrier held vertically adjustable on the said frame, and provided at its lower end with a knife the bottom edge of which is formed correspondingly to the desired cross-section of the side of the track, and means, substantially as described, for raising and lowering the said knife-carrier on the said frame, as set forth.

5. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame and means for holding the same at an angle to a car, a knife-carrier held vertically adjustable on the said frame, and provided at its lower end with a knife the bottom edge of which is formed correspondingly to the desired cross-section of the side of the track, and a locking device for fastening the said knife-carrier in position after it is adjusted on the said frame, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a shaping and ditching machine, the combination with a car, of a frame held at the side thereof, two vertically-movable bars in said frame, means for moving said bars, and a knife, the same being pivotally connected to one bar and slidably connected to the remaining bar, substantially as described.

7. In a shaper and ditcher, the combination with a car, of a frame held at the side thereof, two vertically-movable bars, a knife carried by said bars and being pivotally connected to one and slidably connected to the remaining bar, and means for moving said bars independently and in unison, substantially as described.

8. In a shaper and ditcher, the combination with a car, of a frame held at the side thereof, two rack bars vertically movable in said frame, a knife pivotally connected to one rackbar and slidably connected to the remaining bar, a shaft rotatably mounted and movable longitudinally, and two pinions carried by the shaft and respectively engaging the rackbars, substantially as described.

9. In a shaper and ditcher, the combination with a car having ears projecting therefrom, of a frame provided with corresponding ears, a pin passed through said ears, springs yieldingly holding the ears on the pin, and a knife carried by the frame, substantially as described.

10. In a shaper and ditcher, the combination of a frame, means for holding the same at an angle to a car, a knife-carrier movable verticallyin the frame, a knife on said carrier, and means for locking the knife-carrier, the same comprising two laterally-movable catches in unison engaging and disengaging respective parts of the knife-carrier, substantially as described.

11. In a shaper and ditcher, the combination of a frame, means for mounting the same, two rack-b ars movable vertically in the frame, a knife connected with the rack-bars, a rotary and reciprocal shaft, and two gears carried on the shaft, the gears being differentially disposed with reference to the rack-bars, substantially as described.

12. In a shaper or ditcher, the combination of a frame, two rack-bars movable in said frame, a knife pivotally connected to one rackbar and slidably connected to the remaining rack-bar, a rotary and reciprocal shaft, and two gear-Wheels fixed to said shaft, the gearwheels being wider than the racks and differentially disposed with relation thereto, substantially as described.

13. In a shaper and ditcher, the combination of a frame, two vertically-movable rack-bars, means for moving the rack-bars, a knife carried on said bars, and two catches connected to engage and disengage the respective rackbars in unison and lock the same, substantially as described.

JAMES E. MCCORMICK.

Witnesses:

THEo. G. HOSTER, C. SEDGWICK. 

